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Consultants warn Halifax County finance operations need urgent Munis training to close prior fiscal year
Summary
The Berkeley Group briefed Halifax County officials on June 16, saying forensic‑audit remediation requires policies, segregation‑of‑duties, records management and immediate Munis (finance system) support to close fiscal 2025; consultants proposed a 120‑day scope including training and a dedicated Munis specialist to stabilize operations.
County officials heard a status briefing on June 16 from the Berkeley Group — a consultant the county retained to help remediate findings in a recent forensic audit and stabilize financial operations.
Drew Williams, Berkeley Group CEO, and Nelie Burch, the firm’s public‑finance director on the engagement, said the contract covers a roughly 120‑day assessment and policy‑drafting phase addressing six work streams: payroll and time‑attendance controls, records management and retention, financial policies, segregation of duties/internal controls, training and compliance, and continuity/oversight of finance operations.
Burch warned that fiscal‑year 2025 remained open in Munis (the county’s financial system) and that staff lack institutional knowledge that previously resided in departed leadership. She said the county cannot open and fully operate the newly adopted fiscal‑year budget until FY25 is closed in Munis and recommended immediate targeted Munis training and a dedicated specialist to assist the county through year‑end close.
Consultants emphasized a combination of short‑term stabilization (training and Munis assistance to complete year‑end) and longer‑term policy work (drafting updated financial and HR policies, strengthening segregation of duties and records‑retention rules). They proposed delivering a set of policy recommendations and an implementation roadmap for board review within the engagement window.
Board members asked for timetable details. Berkeley Group said it would return with a formal assessment and policy drafts and that its team had in‑house Munis expertise to support the county’s close‑out and system configuration tasks.
County leadership said staff would coordinate next steps to secure short‑term support for closing FY25 and to schedule the consultant’s follow‑up briefing and policy proposals.
